NEWS RELEASE 100 Legends Lane • Waco, Texas 76706 • (254) 754-9900 • Fax: (254) 754-7373 • www.afca.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 14, 2020 AFCA CONTACT: Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations CELL: (254) 640-0452 MATT ENTZ, TODD HOFFNER, NATE MILNE AND STEVE RYAN NAMED AFCA’S 2019 FCS, DIVISION II, DIVISION III AND NAIA NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR NASHVILLE, TENN. — The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) capped the 2020 AFCA Convention by presenting its top coaching award — AFCA National Coach of the Year — to four outstanding coaches in Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, Division III and the NAIA. North Dakota State’s Matt Entz (FCS), Minnesota State’s Todd Hoffner (Division II), Muhlenberg’s Nate Milne (Division III) and Morningside’s Steve Ryan (NAIA) are the 2019 AFCA National Coach of the Year winners. The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members at four-year schools in FCS, Division II, Division III and the NAIA. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches. Matt Entz earned his first FCS National Coach of the Year honor in his first year as a head coach by leading North Dakota State to 16-0 record, the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and the FCS National Championship. The national title was the third straight for the Bison and the eighth title in nine seasons. The 16-0 season was the first in the modern era of college football. The last team to go 16-0 was the University of Chicago in 1899, but they also had two ties that season. Todd Hoffner also earned his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor by leading Minnesota State to a 14-1 record, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) title and an appearance in the Division II national title game. In his 10 seasons with the Mavericks, Hoffner has a 106-22 record with seven NCAA playoff appearances and six NSIC titles. In 2014, he guided Minnesota State to a 14-1 record and the program’s first-ever appearance in the Division II national championship game. When you include his seven years as head coach at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Hoffner has an overall record of 148-50. Nate Milne is the third first-time winner for 2019. The second-year head coach led Muhlenberg to its best season in program history, going 13-1, winning the Centennial Conference and advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs. This was Muhlenberg’s first out-right conference title since 2008 and its first-ever trip to the semifinals. Milne is 24-3 in his two seasons as head coach and has been named Centennial Conference Coach of the Year to go along with his AFCA Division III Region 2 Coach of the Year honor in 2019. Steve Ryan earned his third AFCA NAIA National Coach of the Year honor after guiding Morningside to a 14-0 record, its ninth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title and their second straight NAIA National Championship. Ryan has an overall record of 184-40 in his 18 years as head coach and has guided Morningside to 16 consecutive post-season appearances, including seven trips to the semifinals in the last eight seasons. Ryan won his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor in 2012 after leading the Mustangs to a 13-1 record and the program’s first-ever national championship game appearance. He added his second honor in 2018 after guiding Morningside to a 15-0 record and the program’s first NAIA National Championship. He is also a nine-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year winner. The winners were honored Tuesday afternoon during the American Football Coaches Awards at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Award History Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf, then of North western, was named as the first AFCA Coach of the Year in 1935. One national winner was selected from 1935 through 1959. From 1960 through 1982, two national winners were selected — one representing the University Division and one from the College Division. From 1983-2005, four national winners were chosen. In 2006, the AFCA started honoring an NAIA Coach of the Year, bringing the total to the five honorees we have today. Prior to 2006, the NAIA was a part of the AFCA’s Division II membership category. Voting Process The current balloting procedure involves selection of 25 regional winners: five regional winners in each of the five divisions – FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA, who become finalist for national coach of the year. Following regional voting, five national winners – one from each division – are chosen. First Year Coach of the Year: North Dakota State’s Matt Entz joins Miami’s (Fla.) Larry Coker, Richmond’s Mike London and Valdosta State’s David Dean as the only coaches to earn AFCA National Coach of the Year honors in their first season as a head coach. Coker was the FBS winner in 2001, Dean was the Division II winner in 2007 while London was the FCS winner in 2008. -(MORE)- 2019 AFCA National Coach of the Year Award Page 2 of 3 Most Schools: Jim Tressel and Brian Kelly are the only coaches to win AFCA National Coach of the Year honors at two different schools in two different divisions. Tressel earned AFCA honors at Division I-A Ohio State in 2002 and Division I-AA Youngstown State in 1991 and 1994. Kelly earned AFCA honors in Division II at Grand Valley State in 2002 and 2003 and in FBS at Notre Dame in 2012. Top Individuals: Larry Kehres of Mount Union is the only coach in AFCA history to win National Coach of the Year honors nine times. He earned the award in Mount Union’s national championship seasons of 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2008. Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Lance Leipold is in second place when he earned his sixth AFCA Division III Coach of the Year honor in 2014. Leipold won his other awards in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. Penn State’s Joe Paterno sits third with five AFCA Coach of the Year honors. Paterno earned his awards in FBS in 1968, 1972, 1982, 1986 and 2005. Northwest Missouri State’s Mel Tjeerdsma (1998-99-2008-09) and Bob Reade of Augustana (Ill.) College are the only four-time AFCA Coach of the Year winners. Reade earned the honor in 1983-84-85-86 in College Division II (now Division III). Morningside’s Steve Ryan (2012, 2018, 2019), Northwest Missouri State’s Adam Dorrel (2013, 2015-16), Grand Valley State and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly (2002-03, 2012), Carroll’s Mike Van Diest (2003, 2007, 2010), Sioux Falls’ Kalen DeBoer (2006, 2008-09), Appalachian State’s Jerry Moore (2005-06-07), Youngstown State and Ohio State’s Jim Tressel (1991, 1994, 2003), Alabama’s Bear Bryant (1961, 1971, 1973) and North Alabama’s Bobby Wallace (1993-94-95) are the only three-time Coach of the Year winners. Kehres, Leipold, Moore, Reade and Wallace are the only coaches to win the award in three or more consecutive seasons. Top Schools: Mount Union is the only institution to have a representative win the AFCA National Coach of the Year Award nine times. North Dakota State, Northwest Missouri State and Wisconsin-Whitewater are the only schools with seven wins. Georgia Southern and Penn State are the only schools with five wins. Alabama, Augustana (Ill.), Grand Valley State, Michigan, Ohio State and Wittenberg are four-time winners. Larry Kehres has won all nine awards for Mount Union, while Joe Paterno has won all five awards for Penn State. Lance Leipold’s six honors and Bob Berezowitz’s 2005 National Coach of the Year award account for Wisconsin-Whitewater’s seven honors. Mel Tjeerdsma’s four wins and Adam Dorrel’s three wins account for Northwest Missouri State’s seven honors. North Dakota State’s national winners are Don Morton (1983), Earle Solomonson (1986), Rocky Hager (1988, 1990), Craig Bohl (2012, 2013) and Matt Entz (2019). Paul Johnson (1999, 2000), Erk Russell (1986, 1989) and Tim Stowers (1990) are Georgia Southern’s honorees. Lloyd Carr (1997), Fritz Crisler (1947), Bennie Oosterbaan (1948) and Bo Schembechler (1969) are Michigan’s winners. Bill Edwards (1962, 1963) and his successor, Dave Maurer (1973, 1975), are responsible for Wittenberg being listed in the select group. Gene Stallings earned Coach of the Year honors in 1992 to join three-time winner Bear Bryant as Alabama’s winners. Augustana’s Reade accounts for all of his school’s awards. Ohio State’s Jim Tressel joins Carroll Widdoes (1944), Woody Hayes (1957) and Earle Bruce (1979) as one of the four Buckeye coaches to win the award. Chuck Martin (2005-06) joins Brian Kelly (2002-03) as the winners from Grand Valley State. Morningside (Steve Ryan, 2012, 2018, 2019), Appalachian State (Jerry Moore, 2005-06-07), Delaware (Tubby Raymond, 1971-72; K.C. Keeler, 2010), Furman (Dick Sheridan, 1985; Jimmy Satterfield, 1988; Bobby Johnson, 2001), North Alabama (Bobby Wallace, 1993-94-95), Notre Dame (Frank Leahy, 1941; Ara Parseghian, 1964; Brian Kelly, 2012), Sioux Falls (Kalen DeBoer 2006, 2008-09), USC (John McKay, 1962, 1972; Pete Carroll, 2003) and Valdosta State (Chris Hatcher, 2004; David Dean, 2007, 2012) are all in the exclusive group of schools having three winners each.